Chevy Volt Gets 230 Miles Per Gallon in the City

GM announced yesterday that the Chevy Volt electric sedan, due out in late 2010, tallied 230 miles per gallon on the EPA’s city fuel economy test.

10,000 of the electric cars will be produced next year with a sticker price of $40,000, although consumers would get a $7,500 rebate from the government. The vehicle is powered by battery alone for the first 40 miles on every charge, then uses gasoline to the battery. The combined fuel economy of city and highway driving is expected to be rated over 100 miles per gallon.

Chevrolet promises 50,000 more cars in each of the two years following its debut in 2010.

One of the downsides is its long charging time when using standard home outlets — 23 hours. A fast charging box is planned to provide 3-hour charges.